Summer McIntosh four medals Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Irvine, California; set 400m IM championship record

Summer McIntosh on her Pan Pacific Swimming Championships: “There’s going to be a lot of reflection”

Leaving Irvine, California, with a gold, two silvers, and a bronze, Canada’s Olympic champion gives her thoughts on the recent Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

19-year-old Summer McIntosh didn’t have the 2026 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships she would have hoped for, despite taking home four medals from Irvine, California.

The three-time Olympic swimming gold medallist claimed a lone individual victory across the week from 12 to 15 August, setting a championship record in the 400m individual medley, bouncing back after Lani Pallister pipped her to the wall in the 200m freestyle as she settled for silver on the first day.

McIntosh was part of the Canadian team that took bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay, but failed to advance from the heats in the 400m individual freestyle. In her final race of the championships, she came within 0.02 seconds of gold in the 200m individual medley.

“That (200m IM) was probably one of my better swims of the meet,” she said, reflecting on her meet. “Overall, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, so there’s definitely going to be a lot of reflection on how I can be better next time.”

Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2026: Full schedule and all results

McIntosh, who has been part of Bob Bowman’s esteemed training group since last year, withdrew from the Canadian Swimming Trials in July with a mild illness, after setting a world record in the 200m butterfly on the opening weekend.

“I’ll be talking to Bob (Bowman) and Eric (Posegay) a lot about how I can adjust my taper and my training and my focus throughout the year.

“We’ve put in a lot of work, so maybe that’ll pay off, but it might just be more about the last few weeks of preparation. After trials and getting sick, it got a bit messy.”

Summer McIntosh to train under Phelps’ old coach Bob Bowman in Texas

Power trio - Summer McIntosh begins new chapter with Léon Marchand under former Phelps coach Bob Bowman